Annular article.



ANNULAR ARTICLE.v

APPLICATION FsLED JAN.6.|916.

lhtented May 8, 1917.

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lUNllVJED TATE@ PATENT HERMAN M. FOOTE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MECHANICAL RUBBER COMPANY, A CORORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ANNULAR ARTICLE.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Fatented May S, 1917.

Application filed January 6, 1916. Serial No. 70,605.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that l, HERMAN M. Foorn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Annular Articles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to annular articles of the open collar type.

An object of the invention is to provide an annular article of the open collar type having means for limiting opening of the collar and at the same time permitting of one end of the collar being readily moved above or below the normal plane of the collar to produce a larger gap between the ends of the collar when applying or removing the collar.

A further object is to provide an annular article having a single element performing the functions of an inating tube, of a handle, and of means for limiting opening of the collar.

`With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without sacrificing any of the advantages or departing from the spirit of the invention.

A description of one embodiment of the invention, a life preserver, will be made, it being understood that the invention extends in scope to all annular articles embodying the principle of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the dcvice in closed position and dotted in open position.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts, designates an inflated hollow rubber life preserver of the open collar type, the ends of the collar being adapted to be secured together in abutting contact or approximately so by means of metal clasps 11, secured to tabs 12 projecting from the opposite ends, or otherwise.

ln the present embodiment of the invention a flexible rubber inflating tube 13 is secured to one end of the pneumatic collar, and passes over the gap between the ends, the free' end of the tube continuing along the outside periphery of the collar for nearly a quadrant of the circumference of the collar. The tube is terminally equipped with a valve 14 of the usual and well known type, and in rear of the valve the tube is enlarged uniformly to provide a stop 15. The free end of the tube is slidably secured in place by spaced loops 16 and 17, the loop 17 coacting with the stop 15 on the tube in limiting opening movement of the collar, the extent to which the collar may be opened being determined by the length of the tube, which in the present embodiment is suiiicient to provide a gap of an inch or more between the ends of the collar. The loop 16 is spaced considerably from the end of the collar as shown, so that the said end may be turned above or below the normal plane of the collar back to the loop 16, as indicated in dotted lines, to provide a still greater gap between the ends when desired. Both loops are spaced considerably apart so that the inflating tube may be withdrawn or bowed outwardly between the loops until the stop 15 engages with the loop 17 to afford a handle for transporting or for hanging up the collar when not in use.

The inflating tube is preferably given a set or permanent shape during vulcanization so that it conforms to the curvature of the collar and thus normally will lie therealong and not project so as to'be in the way.

The rubber collar, as well as the tube, and the securing loops may be formed in the usual manner of constructing hollow rubber devices of this character, or in any desired manner, and as the method of manufacturing forms no part of the invention a description thereof will not be herein given.

Although I have shown and described one particular embodiment of the invention, lf do not wish to limit myself to the use of a rubber or other tube, whether for inflating the'eollar or not, but intend that any ele-- ment which is connected to one end of the collar, bridges the gap between the ends thereof, and is so secured at the free end to the collar that it may produce a means for limiting opening of the collar, falls within the scope of my invention.

- l do not wish to be limited to a rubber or similar inflatable collar, as other mate rial may be used in the 'construction of the collar without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An annular article comprising an inliatable open collar7 means for detacliably connecting the ends of the collar together, and an inlating tube operatively connected with the ends ol the collar and allowing a limited separation of said ends when the connecting means are unfastened.

2. An annular article comprising an iniiatable open collar` an inflating tube secured to one end of and bridging the gap between the ends of the collar, the free end of the tube extending along the outer periphery of the collar, means on the collar slidably confining said free end in place, and a stop on the tube engaging said means and limiting opening of the collar.

3. An annular article comprising an inflatable open collar`r an iniiating tube secured to one end of and bridging tlic gap between the ends of the collar, the free end of the tube extending along the collar, loops on the collar slidably confining said free end in place, and a stop on said tube engaging one of said loops and limiting opening movement of the collar, the other lof said loops being spaced inwardly from the end of the collar and permitting said end to be turned above or below the plane of the collar to increase said gap. a

t. An annular article comprising an inflatable rubber open collar, means for detacliably securing tlie ends of said collar together, a rubber inflating tube secured to one of said ends and bridging the gap between said ends, the free end of the tube lying along the collar for substantially a quadrant of the collar, a pair of spaced rubber loops secured to said collar and slid-v ably holding said free end in place, and a rubber enlargement on said tube engaging one of said loops and limiting opening movement of said collar, the other of said loops being spaced inwardly from the adjacent end oi' the collar and permitting said adjacent end to be turned above or below the plane of the collar.

Signed at Cleveland, Ohio, this 31st day of December, 1915.

' HERMAN M. FOUTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, 2D. C. 

